


Lady Of The Shadows

by queenvidal



Series: Shadow Of The Night [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Distrust, F/M, First Meetings, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-07 10:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18871477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenvidal/pseuds/queenvidal
Summary: What would you do if you wake up in a dark cell without any memories? Right, getting out of there by any means necessary until a blonde Templar cuts you off.





	Lady Of The Shadows

 

 

 

 

The villagers of Haven panic when soldiers return with an unconscious woman with a green glowing hand. It's said she's the only survivor of the explosion and also the one who caused it.

 

Everyone wants to take a look at the woman who destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes and killed the Divine Justinian among two thousand Templars and Mages who wanted to end the war at the Conclave.

 

The soldiers run into the chantry, fighting off protesting villagers. At this point they don't care if she really is the one behind the attack or not, her glowing mark on her hand and the fact she's the only one alive is enough to make the village angry and hateful.

 

Seeker Cassandra follows the soldiers with the mage Solas and apothecary Adan right behind her. They lock the doors behind them. “Quick, bring her down to one of the cells!” She orders as she secures the doors.

 

The soldiers do as they are told and hurry down the stairs to the basement. Carefully they lay her down on an old bedroll in a cell. Solas and Adan kneel at her side and start to treat her and her bright glowing hand.

 

Cassandra snarls at them: “I want her alive, elf! Keep her alive at any costs.”

 

“I'll try, Seeker but please step back, her mark seems to be caused by old magic.” Solas exemins her hand while Adan tries to treat the young woman's injuries. Flying debris must have hit her, blood is running down her temple.

 

Cassandra can't keep her eyes of the green light in the young woman's palm. “Is she a blood mage?”

 

Solas shakes his head. “She doesn't have any self-harm scars and I doubt she is a mage at all.” He feels her connection with the fade but it's different from the connection mages have.

 

“She's our only suspect, if we lose her-”

 

Adan has enough of this argument. “We understood, Lady Cassandra! Now please let us do our work now!”

 

\--

 

It’s cold. Why is it so cold? With a grumble the young woman tries to open her eyes. She winces at the pain of the headache. Slowly she rolls on her back, her head feels like it's about the explode in any second. Finally she manages to open her eyes a little. It's almost completely dark and silent. She looks around, trying to find out where she is but she doesn't recognize this place.

 

The last thing she remembers is talking with her uncle Rob in the tavern of the small village Haven. They wanted to meet his fellow Templars in the Temple of Sacred Ashes before the Conclave officially starts. How did she end up in a cell and where is she now?

 

Slowly she stands up from her bedroll, her muscles are stiff and her body protests at first, she must have been here at least for one day and one night. The prisoner tries to touch her pounding head when she realizes her hands are tied together.

 

Only now she recognizes the pulsing pain of her hand. Bewildered she tries to look under the tight cloths that also cover her left palm. Suddenly sounds are coming from the corridors in front of her cell, she jumps in suprise, she's not alone.

 

Without a second thought she examines the lock of the cell door. Quite clumsy with her hands she reaches into her bun that is already coming loose, releasing her waist long white hair to get the hair pin.

 

Regardless of obstruction her skilled fingers are able to pick the lock and the door opens for her.

 

Quietly she rushes to the wall next to the corridor, disappearing in the shadows. She doesn't know where she is and who the persons ahead of her are but they've locked her away in a cold and dark cell. She'd be a fool to think they are friendly.

 

She pulls up her floor-length black silk dress to get access to her boots and with that to her hidden dagger but with a soundless curse she releases her dress again, the dagger is gone. She'll have to face those in front of her without a weapon.

 

To prevent her light hair from reflecting any light and getting in the way she tries to tuck it into her dress. The persons can be heard talking. Apparently they are two men who are unhappy with their current stationing, both don't want to keep a terrorist safe but they are to afraid that take any actions.

 

Is that why they are not guarding the cells but the stairs instead, are they afraid of her? No one else is down here, so they must be talking about her. Wondering why they call her a terrorist she moves forward.

 

Slowly she sneaks from shadow to shadow until she can see the two men, one is a human the other one is an elf. She can't make out who's armor they are wearing, it's too dark to make out more than steel.

 

That's gonna be a problem, she can't attack soldiers in full gear with nothing but her hands, her bound hands. After a deep breath she decides to use a distraction, she only needs one of them to move.

 

This place is in bad shape, rubbles can be found everywhere, luckily a perfect distraction. The young woman picks up several small rocks and throws them one by one against a wall.

 

"Oh no, is that her, is she awake?" The elf asks slightly afraid.

 

The human just shrugges his shoulders. "Was just a matter of time. Go and take a look."

 

"Me? Why me, you're bigger!" The elf tries to argue but the human pushes him to get him move. "Go! I'll inform lady Cassandra."

 

Oh shit, no. She has to hurry before they realize she fled.

 

The human takes the stairs while the elf slowly follows down the corridor to the cells. When he passes the woman she considers to leave him be but without a weapon and the other guy presumably informing the authorities she has to act.

 

Carefully she sneaks up on him. With his back turned to her, he doesn't see her coming. She grabs his small dagger from his belt and when he turns around in surprise, she slits his throat.

 

Without wasting any time she runs up the corridor and the stairs with the dagger still in her hands. She opens the heavy door on top of the stairs just a little to peek into the room.

 

Is that the chantry of Haven? She's in Haven? She can't hear any steps and the room's also barely lit, it must be night time.

 

She passes the door and disappears in the shadows again. Unfortunately she has no memories other than her arrival at the village to attend the Conclave, but she still recall the big open space right behind the two giant doors. It may be dark but she doesn't desire to reveal herself by stepping out of the chantry just like that.

 

The two heavy doors open with the guard from the basement and two women entering. One has short brown hair and the other hides her face under a hood. But their prisoners recognizes her, is Leliana, the left Hand of the Divine. So the other one must be the mentioned lady Cassandra. 

 

The prisoner holds her breath, hoping they will just pass her without noticing her presence. The guard and the brunette enter the basement, not acknowledging her but Leliana stops in front of the stairs. She turns around and scans her surroundings, she feel being watched.

 

The young woman prays to the Gods she won't be noticed but the other woman is coming closer to her position. Afraid of being detected the prisoner takes advantage of the moment of surprise and stabs her.

 

Leliana reacts quickly and manages  to kick the attacker, the dagger misses its desired target and instead of the rips it sinks in the soft flesh above her ankle. 

 

The staped woman cries out in pain and calls for her friend. The prisoner recovers from the kick faster than Leliana from the stab and starts running.

 

She busts through the door of the chantry and stars running down the streets of Haven. The bells of the chantry start ringing, alarming the village of the fleeing terrorist.

 

People start coming out their huts to see what's going on but the prisoner is faster than their still sleepy minds, no one tries to hold her off, not realizing who she is.

 

Behind her she can hear orders being barked but her ragged breath and the adrenaline that's running through her blood makes impossibleffor her to fully understand them.

 

Finally Haven’s gate is coming in sight and she runs even faster to reach it before the soldiers catch up on her. Three Templars form a line in front of the slowly closing doors but it's too late for the young woman to turn around and find an alternative route out of here.

 

They draw their swords and turn their shields towards her, within a split second she decides to run through them. The warriors prepare for their blows but she uses their defense pose to jump over them, with a kick to the shield of the Templar in the middle she hurls herself up in the air and dives through the small space between the closing doors.

 

Incapable of absorbing the impact with her bound hands she lands graceless on the frozen ground. She hears the gate locking behind her as she get up on her feet again. Without thinking at the pain in her shoulder from the impact she continues to run. Her uncle must be still at the Temple, what ever happened he'll help her, she just has to reach him before she gets caught or killed.

 

Finally she reaches the bridge to the path of the Temple. When she's halfway passed it two men come in sight, they block the exit. Again she curses under her breath, she has to run pass them somehow, slowing down is not an option.

 

The first man, a rather small human in the same armor like the two guards in the basement comes charging for her and swings his sword but she dodges his blow. With a roll she comes closer to him, she bashes her elbows in his ribs, forcing him to bend over. In a fluent motion she slits his unprotected throat. He sinks to the ground as he's drowning in his own blood.

 

The second one is taller, broad shoulders, in Templar armor with a fur coat protecting him from the cold. His heavy gear makes impossible for her to strike him down like the others on her way. She has to outsmart him.

 

Without hesitation he swings his sword at her as well and again she dodges. Sidestep after sidestep she avoids his blade. She doesn't attack, only dances around him. It’s too late when the Templar realizes what she is doing.

 

She was able to make them change positions, now she's the one who stands at the exit of the bridge. With a dirty smile of victory she dodges one final time and throws snow and dirt in his face. Distracted and blinded by the the dirt in his eyes he's unable to hold her off.

 

He calls something after her but she doesn't listen nor does she look back when she runs down the path to the next bridge. It’s not that far anymore, the Conclave is right behind the mountain.

 

Suddenly she cries out and falls to her knees. Her bandaged hand starts glowing in a green light, it feels like every single nerve is on fire. The dagger slides down the path behind her after she drops it, unable to hold onto it any longer.

 

Tears start to well in her eyes as her hand glows up even brighter than before. Not able to keep quiet she cries out once again when a new wave of pain washes over her.

 

Footsteps and clinking of heavy armor can be heard behind her but she's unable to stand up. She feels cool steel against her throat.

 

"Stand up! Slowly!" The Templar orders her in a disturbingly calm voice.

 

She hisses through gritted teeth: "What have you done to me?" Her hand feels like the fire of the seven hells, something must have happened to her when she was unconscious.

 

"Tell me." He answers pertly. "This mass is the result of your actions."

 

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

 

He points at the sky right above the mountain in front of them. Only now she recognizes the bright green tear in the night sky, debrits are falling out of the rift, crossing the sky like shooting stars. Her eyes go wide in shock.  

 

"The Conclave…?" She whispers. The Temple must be right underneath it.

 

The Templar wants to answer her but she cries out again. Her hand reacts to the growing tear in the sky.

 

"No, be quiet, you'll lure them!"

 

As much as she wishes to keep her voice down she just can't, the pain is too much. She rolls herself up on the ice cold ground while her left hand lights up again.

 

It takes her a few moments to calm down after the pain has slowly decreased. She tries to sit up again when they hear something in the distance. Shrill screams that don't sound human and they sound unsettling close.

 

"Maker, they've found us." The Templar looks around in panic.

 

"Who found us?" She asks when a shadow comes in sight, a creature from the fade, a long slender frame with long sharp claws. It crosses the bridge in front of them, followed by other creatures.

 

The prisoner crawls backwards in fear, trying to get away from the monster that is charging at her.

 

With a battle cry the man next to her attacks the monsters, shielding her from their claws. He cuts them down, one after another. With ease he parries every of their attacks with his sword and shield until all shadows are dead and gone. After a few ragged breaths he turns around to the still frightened woman.

 

He reaches his hand out to her but she just looks at him with a frown.

 

"Come on, we need to leave. There's plenty more where they came from."

 

After consideration she takes his head and lets him help her up. But instead of following him she rounds him and goes for the bridge again.

 

"Hey, no. What are you doing?"

 

"Leaving!"

 

He runs after her and pulls at her arm. "Didn't you hear me?"

 

She fights her arms free from his grip as she faces him. "I won't stay with you lunatics, you imprisoned me for no reason, my uncle-!"

 

But the Templar cuts her off. "No reason? You are the only connection we have to the Breach!"

 

"Commander! Get her!" Cassandra comes storming to their position with soldiers and Templars behind her as back up.

 

  
The prisoner can’t help but roll her eyes, she should have started running when those creatures distracted him. But she crawled away instead, like a scared child. And of course she had to run into Justinian's Commander, like her left hand was not enough. But why are none of them guarding the Divine? 

 

The Commander  does as he's told, he takes the young woman's arm again, tighter this time. “You won’t go anywhere unless we tell you so. It would be easier for all of us if you’d just cooperate.”

 

And again his voice is disturbingly calm, he just fought monsters from the fade, Templar or not, no one can stay this calm after facing this. Without another word he hands her to the Seeker.

 

Cassandra orders her men to bring their prisoner back to her cell with guards having an eye on her every movement. The young woman doesn’t fight them when they bring her back to the basement. Whatever crimes they’re accusing her for, her uncle will get her out. Being part of  one of the chantry's most devoted families in the Free Marches can't be for nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
